Over the past few years, six-digit lottery tickets have tended to be relegated to oblivion, because gamblers shifted away from the traditional lottery, in which punters had to spend almost Bt100 to buy a pair of tickets, to the two-digit lottery, which costs only Bt20 for a ticket.

Millions of people, including children, have become addicted to the two- and three digit lotteries; thus, without them, gamblers are likely to revert to playing the traditional lottery once again, with many of the tickets sold by visually impaired vendors. The jackpot prize for this one is Bt2 million.

As well, gamblers could go back to playing the underground lottery like before. It's been reported that several ticket sellers for the underground lottery have been dusting off their desks in preparation for resuming business in a big way.

Some of the six-digit ticket sellers are also preparing to return to business.

The two-digit lottery is much cheaper compared with the normal price of six-digit tickets, the latter of which go for Bt80 a pair. Prior to the introduction of the two-digit lottery, sellers normally took their profit from the six-digit lottery by selling those tickets for Bt90 apiece.

 But after the two-digit lottery began, some were even forced to cut the price to Bt70 a pair, or Bt35 each.

Now the fate of the two- and three-digit lotteries continues to hang in the balance, because their legalisation has been blocked by an evangelical group and some who apparently want to bring down Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula.

Although sellers of six-digit lottery tickets are not likely to be among those plotting against Pridiyathorn, they do welcome the government's indecision about the two- and three-digit lotteries. Some of them are even prepared to sell their tickets at inflated prices, in order to meet the sudden rise in demand.

It was reported in several newspapers yesterday that the authorities were monitoring ticket vendors to make sure they don't jack up the price for the traditional six-digit tickets.

In Suphan Buri province, some six-digit ticket vendors have reportedly been selling their tickets for Bt90 to Bt95. The governor has thus ordered the authorities there to tighten up on inspections to foil these opportunists.

There's no easy way to get rid of this sin, which has been ingrained in folk for many a year.

busdsk@nationgroup.com